The road testing phase of the next generation Skoda Octavia has already begun and a test mule of the fourth generation Octavia has been spied in the alps. The test mule has been neatly camouflaged with body coloured tapes and fake body panels making it difficult and creating an illusion to gauge the dimensions. The car being tested is a station wagon and the spy shots reveal a new sleek projector headlight with dual ‘C’ shaped LED daytime running lights and unlike the current split type headlight, the new ones are seen in a single piece. The tail lights also appear to get a refreshed look and extend up to the tailgate.
The fourth-generation car is likely to be based on the MQB platform, same as the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf and the Seat Leon and the test mule of the car appears to be a bit larger than the current version in the market. This can also be due to the fake panels used to camouflage the car and give it an optical illusion with additional cladding.
On the interiors, the test mule of the Skoda Octavia is seen with an all-black dashboard, a central touchscreen infotainment system recessed into the console, a fully digital instrument screen, a horizontal row of push buttons below the infotainment on the centre console, push button start/stop on the side of the steering column, an electronic parking brake and a unique toggle-switch styled gear selector on the centre.
The new Skoda Octavia is expected to be revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019 and could be launched in India by the year 2020. Skoda will have to upgrade the engine to the new BSVI emission norms which are expected to be enforced from 1st April 2020. If launched in India the Skoda Octavia will compete with the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Civic and Hyundai Elantra.
Of course, pricing will go up when this model lands on our shore.
